It’s not fun when you have internal office meetings that discuss (constructively, of course) all its employee’s faults and shortcomings. Worse if that said “nitpickings” force you to make a mental checklist of the things discussed. The worst is when you end up checking ALL THE ITEMS on the nitpick checklist because you know they’re TRUE.

Today the country pays its last respects to one of the most loved Filipinos that ever lived: The mother of Philippine democracy, President Corazon Aquino.

Thank you for everything that you stood for, thank you for everything you symbolize. In life and even in death, you have united a nation that sorely needs direction. I pray that the fire of unity that currently burns in the hearts of (most) Filipinos today will continue and help drive us to a better future.

Once upon a time, I had a grade school teacher who believed I could ~actually~ sing.

This was one of the many instances she made me perform on stage. This was when I was in Grade 6 and I din’t know any better. Guess what song I was belting out? Michael Jackson’s “Heal The World”, that’s what. I remember almost not going through with this, just because I din’t have a hat which would have completed my kick-ass costume. Rockstar complex much?

(This came about after I saw some snippets of the MJ tribute online this morning. I remembered I had this old picture in an album somewhere in my room.)

I got this idea from Baddie’s awesome blog entry, and reading Ade’s version of it kinda clinched the deal. Granted, my musical taste (or the lack of it, depending on your point of view) seems somewhat boring and cheesy compared to most people but what the hell, I thought I’d take a crack at it. At the very least, I guess my future kids could say their Dad had a pretty diverse taste in music.

So without further ado, here is my own version of Baddie’s 100 Songs To Save Your Life:

The Goo Goo Dolls – Name

Smashing Pumpkins – Perfect

Lifehouse – Sick Cycle Carousel

Switchfoot – Learning To Breathe

Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars

Vertical Horizon – Heart In Hand

Jars Of Clay – Tea And Sympathy

Third Eye Blind – Blinded

3 Doors Down – Be Like That

Matchbox Twenty – Real World

John Mayer – Back To You

Bamboo – Much Has Been Said

Jason Mraz – The Remedy

The Beatles – In My Life

John Lennon – Imagine

Marjorie Fair – Waves

Rooney – I’m Shakin’

R.E.M. – Losing My Religion

Phoenix – Too Young

Jamiroquai – Love Foolosophy

Eraserheads – Minsan

Gary Valenciano – Each Passing Night

Backstreet Boys – All I Have To Give

Up Dharma Down – Taya

Maroon 5 – Sunday Morning

Fuel – Shimmer

Sugarfree – Burnout

Nine Days – If I Am

Tonic – You Wanted More

Atheneaum – What I Didn’t Know

Counting Crows – Mr. Jones

Incubus – Antigravity

Blessid Union Of Souls – I Believe

Gavin DeGraw – More Than Anyone

The Goo Goo Dolls – Here Is Gone

Francism – Kaleidoscope World

The Ataris – The Saddest Song

Hoobastank – Crawling In The Dark

July For Kings – New Black Car

Eraserheads – Waiting For The Bus

Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer

Puddle Of Mudd – Blurry

Blur – Coffee And TV

Martin Nievera – Each Day With You

Fastball – You’re An Ocean

Dave Matthews Band – The Space Between

Filter – Take A Picture

Death Cab For Cutie – What Sarah Said

Goldfinger – More Today Than Yesterday

Live – Selling The Drama

Our Lady Peace – Somewhere Out There

John Mayer -Covered In Rain

Pete Yorn – Just Another

Stereophonics – Maybe Tomorrow

Travis – Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want

Ugly Kid Joe – Cats In The Cradle

Weezer – Island In The Sun

Keith Sweat – Twisted

A-HA – Take On Me

Jason Mraz – Sleep All Day

Rhett Miller – Come Around

Seona Dancing – More To Lose

Aqua – Turn Back Time

Duncan Sheik – Barely Breathing

The Heights – How Do You Talk To An Angel

Stephen Speaks – Out Of My League

Al Green – Let’s Stay Together

Augustana – Boston

Blink 182 – Stay Together For The Kids

Collective Soul – The World I Know

Coldplay – Don’t Panic

Dave Matthews Band – Crash Into Me

Eels – Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues

Fall Out Boy – Don’t You Know Who I Think I Am

Foo Fighters – Walking After You

Fra Lippo Lippi – The Distance

Gin Blossoms – Follow You Down

Greenday – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

Guns N’ Roses – Don’t Cry

The Cure – Friday I’m In Love

Lenny Kravitz – It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

New Radicals – Someday We’ll Know

Nickelcreek – This Side

Oasis – Stand By Me

Eraserheads – Alapaap

Beatles – Something

Evan And Jaron – Crazy For This Girl

The March Violets – Turn To The Sky

The Wannadies – You And Me Song

Snow Patrol – Signal Fire

Tamia – So Into You

Radiohead – High And Dry

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Soul To Squeeze

Rivermaya- Bring Me Down

Switchfoot – On Fire

Sandwich – Hair Pin

Splender – I Apologize

John Mayer -Clarity

U2 – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own

Okay, so that’s that. Feel free to make your own list if you want. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it looks. Cheers!

I am aware of the current issue regarding you and your supposed “insult” about Philippine mail-order brides which aired on Letterman last May 12. I wasn’t able to watch the said interview so I searched for it on YouTube and after watching I think I can safely assume your comment was said in jest. Moreover, I believe it was more a tirade on YOUR end than US Filipinos. Yes, you read that right. I am Filipino and let me assure you that the humor of that statement wasn’t lost on me and surely, most of my countrymen.

See Mr. Baldwin, I live in a country that exhibits the concept of misplaced nationalism more often than not. I live in a country full of hypocrites, people who lash out at foreigners when they make comments of the same nature as yours yet take great delight in bashing each other. We cry in a collective outrage with every single insult thrown our way because although we know we suck as a country, we don’t want anyone rubbing it in least of all foreigners. Our politicians waste their time worrying about stupid sex scandals rather than the more pressing, more important matters that need attention for this country’s betterment. Strange isn’t? Don’t bother trying to understand. Even I have given up doing that a long, long time ago. Also, that politician who threatened you has plans of running for a higher position, so I think you shouldn’t take his statements too personally. You’re just another scapegoat in his quest for power.

On the other hand, there are some of us who actually GET jokes when they are said. There are some of us who try to keep an open mind about stuff, some of us who appreciate anything and everything life has to offer. There are some of us who can hear comments such as yours and shrug it off like it was nothing, because that’s what it was. NOTHING.

On behalf of my some of my fellow Filipinos who have a healthy sense of humor, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused you. I hope someday you can visit our country and see that not all of us are tight-assed, highly strung and overly-sensitive people.